Review by Vladimir on March 20, 2023.

We are all well aware that Poland has quite a good roster of black metal bands, and it seems that every time I think about the Polish scene, another band appears on the horizon. The band I am talking about is a two-piece black metal band Wolfpath, formed by Void and Marcello. They released their debut self-titled EP Wolfpath on January 7th 2023 on Bandcamp as an independent digital release. I've already listed this album as one of my top 10 releases of January, so I'll be going further as to explain what I like about it.

The first track 'Cursed Moon' starts off with tremolo riffs, double-bass drums and harsh vocals which surprisingly switch to epic singing, while the song's mid-section transitions to reverse blast beats with a wild guitar solo, later reverting back to the original rhythm. The second self-titled track 'Wolfpath' has various rhythms in terms of drumming going from double-bass to mid-tempo to thrash metal drumming and to blast beats, although ending quite quickly with its 2 minutes and 47 seconds length. The third track 'Return Ov The Freezing Void' slows things down a bit with its open string riffs and slow drums which later switches to tremolo picking with double-bass drumming and switching back to the original rhythm, creating somewhat of an atmospheric feeling altogether. The fifth track 'Z Popiołów' is a dark ambient track with female narration and screams which sets up an eerie mood before the final track. The final track simply titled 'Wolf' is a catchy one, consisted of very simple riffing with some added melodies, similar to Burzum's "Valen", whereas the vocals switch from harsh whispering to harsh singing, while the drums vary in speed. What I like about their songs is that it combines elements of old school and modern black metal, but without a single instance where the songwriting loses its edge with this variation in styles. The best thing about this style variation is that it doesn't negatively affect the entire experience while listening. From start to finish it keeps the constant atmosphere of wandering in the foggy mountains surrounded by wolves, where you're slowly traversing inside the fog while going through some serious mood shifts along the way. I am not sure if I have any gripe about this EP, maybe just the fact that I am a bit bothered that the third track uses the proposition "ov" as opposed to "of" in its song title, just like Behemoth and other black metal bands did in their songs or album titles. The only reason why I am not so much of a fan is because I am honestly tired of seeing bands using that altered proposition, it personally never makes the song title "eviler" or "cooler" in any way. Although it is only one small gripe, I think it can be ignored since it doesn't really affect the entire experience. The sound production is quite stellar, the guitar, bass and drums sound tight and aggressive, and the vocal mix is also worthy of praise.

Wolfpath may be a new face but it's obviously a band formed by very passionate and experienced musicians that put their hearts in the right place. Whatever comes next from them, I am all for it to take my time during the day and listen to any new release because I did enjoy this EP. Check out Wolfpath and their debut self-titled EP, and see if you’re willing to take the lonesome path into the fogbound mountains.

Rating: 8.1 out of 10

Review by Adam M on September 12, 2013.

This is an Epic Heavy Metal album that sits comfortably along with its influences early Fates Warning and Manowar. Certainly, the mystical and epic vibe carried forth by the early material of those bands shines through in every riff of this solid work.

Long and evolved songs carry through without becoming monotonous, but rather become sing-a-longs very quickly. There are admirably catchy choruses and melodic verses that weave a web of magic around you. The heroic aspect of "The White Goddess" is its most notable feature as one will become pumped up with the songs after listening. The surprising thing is that the songs don’t lose steam later in their progress, but rather build momentum instead. The spirit of albums such as "Awaken The Guardian" or "Hail To England" by the aforementioned bands is carried through, but the album still isn’t as strong as the former. Still, the grandiose nature of the songs here is a one of a kind style for the current metal scene and this band is really performing in their niche quite well. The last song 'White Goddess Unveiled (Crown Of The Sephiroth)' is a highlight, but there are many memorable tracks on the album.

This is a thoroughly enjoyable romp that fans of Epic Metal that could contain both the Power and Traditional Metal genres amongst others should find a lot to like here. Atlantean Kodex have crafted a solid album with "The White Goddess" that fans of both older and newer Heavy Metal should appreciate.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 9
Atmosphere: 9
Production: 8.5
Originality: 8
Overall: 8.6

Rating: 8.6 out of 10